Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson would like to help, he's just too pathetic to do so.
A distressing situation has developed in Arkansas where the state legislature has passed
a bill that prevents local governments from enacting pro-LGBT nondiscrimination measures. Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson plans to let the legislation become law without his signature, which will happen automatically if
he doesn't veto it by the end of next Monday.
The Arkansas bill, called the Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act, broadly prevents any civil rights protections from being enacted that go beyond the ones already covered by the state's nondiscrimination code. The bill is purportedly good for business because it promotes "uniformity of law."
The legislation is a distant cousin of the "religious freedom" bills that are cropping up around the nation and seek to ensure people's right to discriminate against LGBT people based on their personal religious beliefs.
In the case of one such "religious freedom" bill in Arizona last year, the business community—including the state chamber of commerce and the National Football League—voiced strong opposition to the bill. The NFL even said it would consider finding a new venue for the 2015 Super Bowl if Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law. Brewer capitulated, saying, "I have not heard of one example in Arizona where a business owner’s religious liberty has been violated."
In the case of Arkansas, however, the business community has remained entirely silent, reports Josh Israel.
[T]he Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce has not followed suit. A spokesman for the group told ThinkProgress on Monday: "We have no position on that piece of legislation." Wal-Mart, the state’s largest private employer (which voluntarily protects against anti-LGBT discrimination) did not immediately respond to a ThinkProgress inquiry about the bill.
Head below the fold to read the response from Arkansas activists.
Meanwhile, Arkansas activists are pressuring Gov. Hutchinson to veto the bill.
A crowd of nearly 70 people spent part of their Valentine's Day protesting in the name of love, instead of celebrating it. Supporters of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual community stood outside the [governor's] mansion in hopes of persuading his stance on a bill passed on Friday.
They have also
created a website with information about how to contact the governor. But Hutchinson has completely abdicated responsibility, saying he both understands the desire "to prevent burdensome regulations" on businesses but is also "concerned" about limiting local control over laws.
"For that reason, I am allowing the bill to become law without my signature.”
Now, there's a vision in leadership.
In 1996, the Supreme Court struck down a similar Colorado law specifically prohibiting local ordinances that protected gays and lesbians from discrimination. The Arkansas bill is more non-specific since it broadly prohibits any new nondiscrimination protections.
It's worth noting that it's already perfectly legal in Arkansas to discriminate against LGBT citizens. The new bill was a reaction to a nondiscrimination ordinance passed in Fayetteville last year and later repealed by voters. Despite the legislature's actions, some local Arkansas officials are still seeking to pass LGBT protections.
The Arkansas Times reported on Saturday that Little Rock officials were thinking about passing a gay civil rights ordinance anyway, which could form the basis of a lawsuit once SB 202 becomes law and makes such ordinances illegal.